Aerial bomb



0. M. KELLEY.

AERIAL BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 191]- 1,330,191. Patented Feb. '10, 1920.

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Patented .Feb. 10, 1920.

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OR-EA M. 'KELLEY, OF LOWELL, "MASSACHU SETTS.

AERIAL BOMB.

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T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OREA ll. KELLEY, a citizenof the United States, residing at Lowell, Middlesex county, and State of Massachusetts, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Bombs, of which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to torpedoes anl more particularly to the class known as selfpropelled aerial bombs and its object is to provide a device capable of being launched under its own power from any simple in clineditrack structure without requiring a specially constructed launching stand. Another object is to construct such a device with self-contained propelling means and also with a device for stopping the propel- 'lingmeans and retarding the flight of the projectile at a predetermined point. An-. other object is to construct a. device to be light in weight and free from any complicated' operating devices.

Vi ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of a combination and arrangement of parts as described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent similar parts in the 7 several views. In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the aerial torpedo shown at the angle of flight,

Fig. 2, a top plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3, an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the dotted line 38 in Fig. 1.

In structure my invention consists of-a body portion 10 divided by the partition 11 into an explosive chamber 12 and a driving mechanism chamber 13. The chamber 1.2 contains an explosive charge 1% capable of being ignited by means of a percussion cap 15 through the medium of a rod 16 mounted in the front end of the body, on coming in contact with any object. The body portion 10 is provided on each side with a supporting wing or plane 17 slightly curved to overcome the gravity of the device while in flight and provided at their extreme corners with rollers 18 adapted to run on the inclined rails (indicated by dotted line 100 in Fig. 1) of any suitable launching track that may be provided. The launching is accomplished by means of the propelling device located in the chamber 13 and consists of a source of energy 19 from which leads of a circuit breaker.

thereof is connected by means of a wire 28 Specification of Letters Patent. :Pgmtgntgd Feb 1@ 192% Application filed November 3, 1917. Serial No.'200,2l9..

of an electric motor 2 1 from which leads a a wire 25 which is in circuit with one side 26 The other side 27 to thesource of energy.

The motor 24 is provided with a shaft 29 having mounted thereon a gear 30 meshing with a similar gear 81 formed integral with a sleeve 32 which is slidably keyed to the propeller shaft 33 journaled at one end in a bearing 3% and at the other end in a sleeve 35 and which also has secured thereto an aerial propeller 36. The sleeve 32 is formed with a cone shaped recess 37 adapted to be brought intocontact with a stationary cone member 38 formed integral with the bearing 3% and also formed with a circumferential groove 89 in which operate a pair of rollers 10 carried by a yoked lever 11 which is fulcrumed at 12 to the body 10. The opposite end from the fulcrum is flattened tobe engaged-by a spring pressed hook 18 forming part ofla bell-cranklever having an arm let for a purpose to be explained later. The lever 41 is held by the hook 43 against the tension of a spring 45. It willthus be understood that when the contact switch 21 is closed, the'current from the battery 19 will operate the motor 21 and through the gears 80 and 31, will impart the motion to the propeller 36 thereby exerting enough force to launch the device and also drive it through the air until a desired point in its flight has been reached. At this point it is desired to suddenly check the advancing of the flight and cause the torpedo to drop vertically. I have accomplished this by means of a clock work 46 comprising a train of gears, the highest speed one having mounted on itsspindle 47 a speed retarding fan 18 prevented from rotating by means of a lever 58 and on the spindle d9 of one of the low speed gears, a pinion 5O meshing with a. rack-bar 51 mounted to slide in bearings 52 and provided with a series of perforations. 53 which may be spaced so as to represent certain intervals of time, for example five seconds. A pin 54 is inserted in either of the perforations, predetermined, and so located that when the rack-bar 51 is moved along it will come in contact with the arm 44 causing the arm 43 to release the end of the lever 41 and thereby allowing the spring 45 to swing the lever which movement simultaneously disengages the gears and '31, breaks the electric circuit between the contact members 26 and 27 and arrests the motion of the propeller by means of the clutch members 37 and 38, thereby causing the torpedo to drop vertically, it being guided at all times by the fixed ver-.

.tical and horizontal fins, or guiding vanes 55.

It is thought that with the above description, anyone skilled in the art may readily understand and operate the device, however I wish it understood that my invention is not confined to the exact structure shown and described, as changes in its form, proportions and minor details may be resorted member to suddenly arrest motion of said shaft, and means for releasing and operating said lever, substantially as described.

2. An aerial torpedo of the class described comprising a body portion, supporting and 3: In an aerial torpedo of the class described, the combination of a'body portion, supporting and steering planes secured thereto, a propeller, means for stopping said propeller consisting of a clutch composed of a stationary member and a sliding and revolving member, a lever operating said sliding member, a spring tooperate said lever, a detent for holding said lever, means for operating said detent consisting of a spring motor, a pinion on one of the shafts of said motor, a rack for meshing with said pinion, spaced perforations in said rack, a pin adapted to be inserted in either of said perforations, and an arm connected with said detent and adapted to be engaged by said pin to release said lever, substantially as described. 1

In witness whereof, vI have hereunto my hand and seal at Lowell, Massachusetts, this 27th day of October, A. D. nineteen hundred and seventeen.

OREA M. KELLEY. [1,. s] Witnesses:

JOHN AQPRA'IT, ELIZABETH PRATT. 

